That's all folks!

Namaste. 

As we finish off our journey in Singapore while awaiting our transfer back to SFO, we just wanted to express our gratitude and say THANK YOU to our family, friends, and donors. Without all of your support, we would not have been able to travel so far to create outrageous goodness for the Nepali people we worked with. It was truly a magical experience. Despite some of the challenges we faced during the week, all in all, it was a huge success. 

Prior to departing for the airport to catch our Singapore flight, our colleagues came to wish us safe travels, surprising us with a parting gift. They also passed along a gift that one of the teachers had left for us as well. We were truly touched by the kindness we were blessed with this week. 

We leave you with a slideshow that sums up our experience:

"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." - John F. Kennedy

Cheers to a successful trip! Next trip, Africa 2014!

A peaceful end to a harmonious beginning

We have been on quite a journey. The week was filled with lots of different smells, people ,food and living conditions. While all these can pose a challenge for two pedicure lovin' San Franciscans, we kept our focus on the mission.  Our last leg of the training program was watching teachers demonstrate Speak To Children's program with their students in the classroom.

Our cab driver played Bollywood Hindi music as we slowly weaved through a huge traffic jam into the suburbs of Kathmandu with Motor cyclists inches away-so close we could touch them!

Throughout the day, we were greeted by welcoming teachers and smiling children, all in schools that were in horrible conditions. The teachers demonstrated the program by integrating some of the words into their curriculum, and others had the children sing songs about appreciation, choices and sharing. Each teacher had prepared a specific Speak To Children lesson, which was impressive and exciting for us to watch. They got it! Listening to the children proudly recite the six words and happily sing rhymes filled us with joy. The children were the reason we traveled so far,and were able to actually see that they had learned the curriculum from the teachers who had not historically treated them with kindness.

The small classrooms were filled with harmony, peace and children's joyful voices singing about appreciation, sharing, choices, celebrating differences, and a conscience. Our mission was accomplished. As we walked away towards our hotel, Melanie could hear the children's voices and commented on the wonderment in their eyes, while Giulietta recalled how touched she was when one of the teachers hugged her. We all felt the program was a success. We did it!

The next few hours were spent unwinding in Katmandu. We saw some more sites and had some yummy food together with a colleague from ICRI. With each hour that passed we experienced a little more peace. And as we talked about the day while sitting in a restaurant that felt like an old temple, overlooking Patan Dubar Square, it started to rain. Melanie felt the rain was an omen. After a week of embracing differences, the rain made everything new again. The wood carved windows were propped open and as we looked outside, all was well for the two non Trekkers who came so far to create outrageous goodness.

View from the restaurant.

Golden Buddhist Temple. 

We know that the days and months ahead will be key to maintain the consistency for the program being taught. Thankfully, we have the master teachers in place to support the process. We are on to a new chapter.

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot

 Next stop Singapore! Hot showers here we come. Namaste.

Do you hear what I hear?

Today was the last day of our teacher training session before we go observe the teachers practicing this new curriculum in the classroom. It was a day about learning and it was a day where the teacher's personalities truly shined. As teacher trainers, we were able to learn if the trainees heard us while we taught our curriculum the day before. Communication can be challenging in the same language, let alone another. We were pleased to learn that the teachers heard us and were able to deliver the program with minor corrections. Pretty amazing!

Today was a day that Giulietta mostly facilitated. The purpose of the day was to have teachers practice the new curriculum with each other in small teams, role playing as the teacher and students. As we kicked off the day, the teachers divided into groups of 4, reviewing the curriculum and role playing with each other. 

After the teams had some time to practice and share feedback, we reserved an hour for recreational activities, which was something the group had requested the day prior. In the Nepali culture, it is common to allow time for singing, dancing, reciting poems, etc., so we reserved the time to do just that right before lunch. That was truly an amazing experience and very fun! We should learn to take dancing and singing breaks during training sessions or meetings in the states too.  :)

The picture above is the director of the ICRI organization singing a traditional Nepali song. We were able to get video of some of the other dances and activities, but we unfortunately cannot post them here. We will have to post them on Facebook later on. 

After lunch, we called each of the small teams up to present their role play to the whole group. Each team had up to 25 minutes to role play an activity they would conduct with their kids to teach them about the 6 Speak To Children topics  (appreciation, sharing, self-esteem, making choices, having a conscience, and celebrating differences). As each team presented, we were able to see the personalities of the teachers come through. We also learned a lot about the types of activities that are done in the classroom. One thing that really stood out to Giulietta was the examples teachers used for the topic of celebrating differences. This topic is about recognizing that everyone is special and unique, despite our differences. So as the teams went up to role play this topic, the majority of the teachers chose examples from their classrooms of children who are disabled. One teacher played the role of a student who had only one eye, another played the role of a student who had no arms. It saddened us to see this, but this is their reality. It was truly powerful for us to watch.

Melanie was continually moved to watch the teachers practicing and demonstrating Speak To Children's program. Coaching these teachers was truly an honor. They were so excited and eager to learn. Plus, it was evident they embraced the concepts, and would use them in the classroom. It was so exciting for us to watch them help each other, have fun and listen to them laugh.

Following all the presentations, the Chairman of the organization paid a visit. We conducted a formal closing of the training session where the Director of the organization and the Chairman presented the group with a certificate of completion of the training course, and then we wrapped up with a group photo. 

It was truly an incredible day and we feel so blessed to have been able to come to Nepal to have an impact on these teachers. This trip proved that this program is truly transferable across cultures because in the end, the teachers were able to demonstrate that they did in fact hear us and understand the program. 

Tomorrow is our last full day in Nepal. We plan to visit schools to see the teachers we taught in action! 

We leave you with a quote that we think sums up our journey to Nepal in working with these teachers:

"Every child should have a caring adult in their lives. And that's not always a biological parent or family member. It may be a friend or neighbor. Often times it is a teacher." - Joe Manchin 

Namaste 

Beyond our Imagination

We've been waking up at 5:30 every morning to roosters crowing -- never would have imagined we would feel rested after waking up so early. Yesterday was a big day. We started training teachers, and we had no idea what to expect. We were hopeful and unable to imagine what the day would look like.

Yesterday was the first day we crossed the streets in Nepal by ourselves! You may be thinking that is not a big deal, but  it is. Motorcycles, buses, cars, chickens, dogs... No one stops. So we said a prayer. We felt like Moses parting the Red Sea for the Israelites. The only difference is we ran like heck for our safety. Our walk to the ICRI office is ten minutes away, and we were thankful to have made it without a scratch.

We took off our shoes as we entered the office and began our day - a day that we traveled so very long for.  We were greeted with the traditional "Namaste" by teachers dressed in their saris and younger teachers dressed like westerners. We sat in a circle on cushions, and began the training.

The day was filled with positive feedback from teachers as Melanie unfolded Speak to Children's program.  While we couldn't always understand what they were saying, there was a sense of connectedness and common purpose - children. We started it with an interpreter, but the teachers requested Melanie speak slowly in English, which at times was a challenge for her due to her enthusiasm. Listening to the teachers utter speak to children's name in their native tongue and observe the training materials in Nepalese was something Melanie could have never imagined. In fact, being in Nepal training teachers was beyond either of our imaginations. Throughout the day we had moments of reality hitting us, reminding us that we are truly in Nepal, training teachers and discussing the Nepali social and educational dilemmas of not only children, but parents as well. We also listened to confessions of being teachers being too militant with their children. It was truly a powerful experience.

We ended with an evaluation of the day where we got to hear what all 21 teachers truly thought of the experience, and the consistent answer was that they loved it! Melanie's favorite comment about the program was when one teacher said the program is about enlightenment. That was the one comment that Melanie had always hoped to hear and for teachers to understand. The understanding of this program was uttered in Nepali by a young teacher - truly amazing and magical. 

Today is day 2 of our training where we will facilitate group practice sessions of the content. We are excited to see how the day unfolds! 

Cultural Differences

On our third day in Nepal, we embraced cultural differences at every level. This theme was present throughout the day. Let us walk you through some of the major ones...

Concept of time: Punctuality is remiss in Nepal. When our colleagues tell us they will meet us in 30 minutes, it really means within approx an hour or hour and a half (Nepali time).

Religious differences: Nepal consists of two major religions, Hindu and Buddhism. We took a trip to the Boudha Temple, one of the largest in the world, which was absolutely beautiful and fascinating. The chanting in the backround, candles, rituals that promised peace, and enlightenment filled our senses. As we walked through another square, we also came across a Hindu God.

Boudha temple

Hindu God

Educational differences: We visited some of the elementary schools, which left us feeling heartbroken. The schools are completely run down. Each classroom consists of one blackboard and 5 benches. Classrooms for each grade level are only separated by a mobile chalkboard. We also learned that the profession of being a teacher is not respected and is seen as a last resort if they are unable to find any other jobs. Therefore, needless to say, children are exposed to deplorable learning environments as well as individuals who do not care. Ironically enough, one of the schools we visited was in, what used to be, a Buddhist temple. 

City center school

School in an old Buddhist temple

Typical classroom

Social differences: Our senses were completely overwhelmed and overstimulated again today. As we walked through Durbar square (a tourist site that consists of temples and museums), we were faced with crowds of people walking the streets that had cars and motorbikes trying to occupy the same space, in addition to children following us, begging for money. We felt like we had to be on high alert at all times - dodging cars, motorbikes, people, all while hearing the endless honking noises of all the cars and bikes trying to pass. It was overwhelming, to say the least, and really drained us. Luckily, our colleagues were quite supportive and helpful through the process, but for us, it was difficult given that we are not used to these living conditions. 

Communication differences: Nepali people are incredibly polite, so it's hard to know who they really are.  We learned they will say one thing, but may mean another, making it interesting for negotiations. There is a lack of communication due to their politeness, so one is not always aware of their true intentions. We also leaned that true intentions and their sense of timing will take you by surprise. 

While we encountered many differences, our journey is teaching us to embrace them. The irony is that the materials of Speak To Children teach children and teachers to celebrate differences. So we will look to celebrate these differences in the days to come when training our teachers. 

We leave you with a quote, "Unexpected travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God." - Kurt Vonnegut

Namaste